http://voiceofrussia.com/2013_12_14/Putins-address-to-parliament-healthy-conservatism-and-robust-defence-3949/
14 December, 17:40
In his annual state-of-the-nation address to the Federal Assembly earlier this week, Russian President Vladimir Putin laid emphasis on social, economic and home policy problems. The Russian leader was especially emotional when discussing the moral health of society and Russia's role in the modern-day world.
He delivered his address on Constitution Day, December 12th, when Russians marked 20 years since the adoption of the constitution. Putin said the constitutional provisions determining the rights and freedoms of man and citizen are unchangeable, even though some pinpoint changes may and should be made in other chapters of the constitution due to law-enforcement practice and the course of events.
The constitutional process also prompts the need for promoting political competition. Vladimir Putin is certain that new parties that will successfully emerge from local elections will soon challenge the political old-timers. According to the President, the State is interested in updating government agencies by appointing well-trained and responsible officials. Putin also pointed out the need for tightening public control of bureaucracy.
When elaborating on economic problems, Putin mentioned moves to further "deoffshorize" the Russian economy and called for all-out efforts to develop Siberia and the Russian Far East. According to the President, Russia's turn towards the Pacific will pave the way for fresh economic prospects and ample foreign policy opportunities.
Putin believes that world development becomes increasingly contradictory, providing for the growing historical responsibility of Russia as a state that defends its own values without seeking dominance or telling anyone what to do.
"We'll try to be in the lead by defending international law and pressing for respect for national sovereignty, independence and the distinctive character of nations. This is a perfectly unbiased stand that can be easily explained for a country like Russia, given Russia's great history and culture, as well as the centuries-long experience not in the so-called tolerance, sexless and sterile, but in a situation when different cultures and ethnic groups live harmoniously together in one country.
The Russian President feels that many countries are revising moral standards and removing cultural differences and national traditions."
Demands are made today that one and all not only recognize everyone's fair right to the freedom of conscience, to political views and privacy, but that they also mandatorily recognize of equal value, however strange it may seem, good and evil, the notions that are opposite by their very meaning. We know that increasingly great numbers of people around the world share our stand on the protection of traditional values, the values of a traditional family, human life, including religious life, the values of humanism and world diversity. This is clearly a conservative stand. But in the words of Nikolai Berdyaev, the idea of conservatism is not that it prevents progress and upward movement, but that it prevents one from moving backwards and downwards, to chaotic darkness.
Vladimir Putin pointed out the well-known attempts in recent years to impose an allegedly more progressive development model on other countries. But the result was invariably retrogression, barbarity and a high price in blood. On the other hand, the situation around Syria and now around Iran, too, proves that any international problem can and must be settled exclusively through political means, without ever resorting to the use of force, which, the Russian leader is certain, has no future and provokes rejection in a majority of world nations.
The Russian foreign policy has to date been based on pragmatism, says the Editor-in-Chief of the Russia in Global Affairs journal, Fyodor Lukyanov. But now President Vladimir Putin has said clearly and unambiguously that Russia's state ideology is conservatism.
One gets the impression that, given the success that Russian diplomacy has achieved in the outgoing year, Russia can no longer exploit just the idea of pragmatic approach to anything as its ideology. So, whether Russia wants it or not, it is taken the world over as a nation aspiring for a very important role. I think Putin has signalled that we are becoming a certain ideological pole. What we will reject, according to Putin's clear-cut statement, is sexless and sterile tolerance, impersonated by the modern-day western (meaning liberal) approach. But what is the opposite approach to the situation? - Conservative, of course. It follows then that we are assuming this kind of role".
Russia is simultaneously fully prepared for cooperation with all partners to ensure common, equal and indivisible security. The President also stressed this in his address. For example, according to Putin, Moscow realizes that the US missile defence system is only called defensive, while actually being an important part of the strategic offensive potential. To say nothing of the concept, currently being drawn up, of a first-strike disarming quick-action global attack that may have an enormous negative impact on regional and global stability.
No one should cherish illusions that they will be able to secure military superiority over Russia, the President said. Russia will beat back all the challenges, whether political or technological. Russia's military doctrine and advanced armaments will certainly help ensure the security of the Russian State.
Nikita Sorokin
Read more: http://voiceofrussia.com/2013_12_14/Putins-address-to-parliament-healthy-conservatism-and-robust-defence-3949/
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Armáda Života Армия Жизни Life Army
Armáda Života Армия Жизни Life Army